Australian Energy Market Operator

AEMO operates Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM), the interconnected power system in Australia’s eastern and south-eastern seaboard, and the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) and power system in Western Australia.

AEMO operates gas retail markets in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. AEMO also operates wholesale gas markets in south-eastern Australia, those being the Declared Wholesale Gas Market in Victoria (DWGM), the Short Term Trading Market in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney (STTM), and the Gas Supply Hub (GSH), whose trading locations are based at Wallumbilla in Queensland, and Moomba in South Australia. AEMO also operates the Natural Gas Services Bulletin Board (GBB), and is system operator of the Victorian Gas Declared Transmission System. AEMO is also responsible for Gas Services Information functions in Western Australia.

AEMO NEM Event Direction to Basslink 11 April 2013

At 1040 hrs on 11 April 2013, AEMO issued a power system security direction to Basslink Pty Ltd to turn off the Basslink frequency controller after advice that Basslink could not transfer FCAS due to an inter-site communications failure. The direction was cancelled at 1638 hrs that day after communications were restored.

AEMO advised the direction was for ‘Other Service’ and that no compensation is payable.

This purpose of this report, as required under clause 3.13.6A of the National Electricity Rules, is to:

Explain the need for a direction

Estimate its market impact

Assess AEMO’s compliance with the processes for market notification and intervention; and

Identify any improvements to those processes

For further information on this document, please contact: Ross Gillett, Market Operations and Performance